Lion's Trial

Khadgar

Khadgar paced nervously around his study, perched high above the shining Zangarra swamp. It was about half an hour before dawn, but the Archmage was wide awake. After all, today was the day.

He had led the expedition through to the alternate Draenor around a month ago. While his expeditionary force had been initially successful in their attempt to bring down Dark Portal, they were now coming to terms with the reality of an extended siege on an alien world separated by both space and time. They had made significant inroads into the continent, however, his own mage tower now a well-established beacon of the arcane. Both the Alliance and Horde had established permanent bases, Stormshield and Warspear respectively, along with small, permanent portals to Azeroth Prime.

The successful founding of Stormshield meant that the base would today play host to Varian Wrynn, King of Stormwind and High King of the Alliance. Khadgar had put off the visit for as long as he could. While Varian was a capable and battle hardened warrior, Khadgar was uneasy about bringing him through to Draenor. He was too important to the Alliance, to Azeroth, to risk on Draenor. Khadgar knew it, and doubtless the Iron Horde knew it too, courtesy of Garrosh Hellscream. But Varian was Varian, and he had insisted on making the journey to Draenor. Another time, Khadgar might have admired a king who was determined to experience everything his men did, but right now it was damned annoying.

Fortunately, Khadgar had managed to convince Varian to submit to at least a few safety precautions. Only a select few personnel knew of his impending visit, and his dawn arrival in Stormshield was intended to minimise the risk of him being seen. The High King would be accompanied by the best of his guard, as well as a number of agents from SI:7. Khadgar had also hand-picked a number of his most trusted and powerful mage allies to accompany him. He'd considered informing Thrall, in case the orc shaman had any intelligence that might keep the King safer, but Varian had expressly forbidden it. Although champions of the Alliance and Horde had stormed the portal together, there was still no love lost between them. Especially for Varian.

Khadgar sighed. His reverie was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

"Enter," he said, ceasing his pacing. It wouldn't do for one of his mages to see him so nervous.

A small, pale human woman entered the room. Khadgar smiled in recognition.

"Auriana," he greeted her warmly. "Good morning."

"And you, Archmage," she replied crisply.

Always so formal, Khadgar mused.

As a mage, Auriana was enormously talented, but as a young woman, she was... troubled. Khadgar wasn't sure what had happened in her past, but it had left her with a rigid adherence to formality, and a heart as cold as the ice she wielded. She was a member of the Kirin Tor, and he knew she had served Jaina Proudmoore as a soldier of the Kirin Tor Offensive in Pandaria. She had also been one of the first to sign on to undertake the mission through the Dark Portal. In their time together on Draenor, Khadgar had discovered her to be brave and resourceful, though always distant. She was a problem for another day however, and right now he needed her skill, not her friendliness.

"It's time?" he asked her.

"Yes. His Majesty will be ready to enter the portal from Stormwind in ten minutes. The others have already ported to Stormshield. Only you and I remain," she said.

Khadgar studied her carefully. While her face was a mask of calm, in her dark blue eyes he saw an echo of the same concern he himself felt.

"Then we'll depart at once," he said. Extending his arcane power, he reached out for the ley network he knew as Stormshield and opened a portal in space. He gestured to Auriana, and she gracefully stepped into the portal ahead of him, disappearing in a flash of light.

Stormshield materialised around the two mages. At this hour of the morning, the Alliance base was quiet and still. A few guards patrolled the perimeter, but otherwise the base stood silent. Khadgar and Auriana strode purposefully in perfect lockstep towards the portal from Stormwind. The portal was monitored and maintained every minute of every day by teams of Alliance mages. The portal wasn't as large as the Dark Portal, and impractical for moving armies, but it served well enough to provide a small link between Draenor and home.

They found the portal already surrounded. Khadgar's four other mages were there, along with an honour guard of twelve Alliance infantry. The infantry saluted as Khadgar approached. Not one used to displays of military protocol, he offered them a smile and an awkward sort of half wave. Mercifully, it seemed to be enough, and the soldiers lowered their arms.

The first rays of the sun had crested the horizon, making the plate of the soldiers shine burnished gold. Right on cue, the Stormwind portal rippled, and a number of people began to emerge. First came a full twenty soldiers in heavy plate, members of the Stormwind Kingsguard, followed by four lean looking rogues in well-worn leathers. From their guarded, suspicious expressions and precise movements, Khadgar assumed they were the SI:7 contingent. A moment's pause followed, and then he emerged, followed by another plate wearing soldier.

Whatever one might think of Varian Wrynn as a man or as a King, Khadgar mused, there was no denying the sheer power of his physical presence. He stood nearly a head above almost all of the assembled soldiers, and he absolutely dwarfed the petite Auriana. His distinctive armour absolutely gleamed, the proud lion and eagle shoulder plates aglow in the soft light of dawn. The great sword Shalamayne sat upon his hip, exuding a quiet but deadly aura of power. He looked every inch a man born to be a king.

Khadgar bowed low.

"Welcome to Stormshield, my Lord," he said formally.

Varian offered him a gauntleted fist, and fairly pulled the Archmage to his feet.

"Khadgar, old friend. Let's not stand on formality. It's Varian," the King said, offering a rare smile.

Khadgar shook the offered hand vigorously, and gestured out across Stormshield.

"Very well then, Varian. Welcome to Draenor."